The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced a plan to reopen the Fort McHenry Channel to the Port of Baltimore by late next month, following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The Corps expects to open a limited access channel within the next four weeks, with the permanent channel reopening by late May. This reopening could restore port access to normal capacity, according to the Corps.
The collapse of the Key Bridge has had a significant impact on the local economy, with over 500 businesses affected by the closure of the bridge. Small Business Administration official Isabel Casillas Guzman said that 15,000 workers’ jobs have been impacted by the collapse. The administration is still collecting data to determine the full scale of the impact.
The bridge collapse occurred when a cargo ship collided with one of the bridge’s support columns, trapping the ship beneath several beams. Six construction workers who were on the bridge at the time of the collapse are presumed to have been killed. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore stated that the ship issued a distress call after experiencing a power issue that prevented it from avoiding the bridge. Crews are currently working to move containers from the ship to a nearby logistics center, as well as remove debris from the bridge.
The reopening of the Fort McHenry Channel will be a crucial step in restoring access to the Port of Baltimore and mitigating the economic impact of the bridge collapse. Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon acknowledged that the timeline may be impacted by adverse weather conditions or changes in the complexity of the wreckage. The Corps is working to ensure the channel reopens as quickly as possible to support local businesses and workers who have been affected by the closure of the bridge.
In response to the bridge collapse, over 500 small businesses have applied for long-term, low-interest loans to cover expenses and continue operations until the port reopens. The federal government is working to provide support to these businesses through disaster loans and other initiatives. The reopening of the Fort McHenry Channel will be a crucial step in ensuring that businesses can resume normal operations and workers can return to their jobs.
The cleanup and recovery efforts following the bridge collapse are ongoing, with crews working diligently to remove debris from the bridge and move containers from the ship. The reopening of the channel will play a significant role in enabling these efforts to continue and ensuring that the Port of Baltimore can resume operations as soon as possible. The Corps of Engineers is closely monitoring the situation and working to reopen the Fort McHenry Channel according to the tentative timeline provided.
